NON SEQUITUR

"If we allow ourselves to be defeated by those who oppose peace, it would be tantamount to allowing the chaos in Mindanao to worsen. If we were to surrender the pursuit of the Bangsamoro, it would be tantamount to allowing them to bequeath arms to the next generations of our fellow Filipinos."

-- excerpt from PNoy speech

Non sequitur.

When debating we always refer to those fallible arguments that render any speech illogical. The above lines presume that those who oppose peace are for chaos. As well, not supporting the Bangsamoro Law is equal to allowing them to arm again.

Again, we say, all these do not follow.

PNoy presumes that those who oppose the BML are opposing peace. That is a big assumption which is not true. We are for suspension of talks about Bangsamoro because we want to have a clear picture of who we will give autonomy to. If it is only the MILF that the Office of the President is talking to, then we ask, what about the other groups, the other sectors in Mindanao? Who told the OP to marginalize the other groups from the talks?

If we suspend talks and then the Bangsamoro arm themselves again, then, that means their view of democracy is half-baked. The more we have to suspend talks with them because using arms is blackmailing us into acquiescing to their demands, without any questions being raised.

Blackmail is a method of gangsters and to be in a democratic state, one has to cease being a blackmailer, a gangster.

Also, what happens to our claims to Sabah, which is very rich in oil and the exploration of which could solve all our problems of poverty?

I think PNoy has to measure his words; otherwise, the more he is alienating us -- who are for peace but not using the methods that they are using now.

He should change his advisers who are pulling him down the quagmire of confusing policies.

Acting as a Statesman (Stateswoman) is having a broad view of the Philippine landscape; not the immediate but rather long term gains for all, not a few.

How easy to read that.

Peace and happiness are only elusive to those who pursue domination of other people. But once we see life on this earth as a peaceful co-existence, then we become happy and at peace with ourselves, first, and with others, next.

MAMASAPANO LESSONS

Lessons from the Mamasapano hearings cannot but contain emotional underpinnings which are difficult to ignore. In the first place, those who retrieved the bodies of the 44 soldiers could have been their own buddies, their roommates at some seminars and workshops or co-guardians of peace in many battles. What came to my mind was it must have been very painful for them to feel the chopped up bodies of their comrades, still warm and soft, like the last time they were together. And, suddenly they were lifeless, no longer able to say hi or hello to them, or even glance at them and nod in acknowledgement of their presence. 

Secondly, it was heart-tugging to know that it had happened to 44 young men, some barely out of their teens and who must have felt that being a protector of the State was the highest achievement they could have, given the very little opportunities for advancement they could have from their original places. 

Thirdly, I am amazed why everyone are still agog about searching for the so-called truth. Who killed them, nobody else but those who pointed the guns at them and who refused to respect the uniforms they were wearing? It is as simple as that. It was not an encounter -- it was simply a revenge for the loss of their mentor, the man who had given them that knowledge to make other people fear them, fear their authority. And what better way to avenge his death but to follow the motto:  an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

But the hearings have been eye-openers as well. They showed the militaristic way of solving terrorism, how plans were developed, who implemented them, how they were botched by circumstances, and how women were sidelined in the whole operations, save as victims of the encounter. 

If there had been a woman who planned the operation from the very start, could the Oplan Exodus have turned out that way?  A woman's viewpoint, gutfeel, maternal feelings -- all these could work into how operations have to be planned and implemented. I am not saying that men have no intuition nor paternal feelings which are similar to maternal in the sense that the leaders would consider their men as their own sons whom they should protect and prevent from dying. But having a woman planner could bring in a different perspective which most of the time, men would neglect, I suppose. That is because, knowing how to give birth to a human being, ordinarily a woman would have that immediate protective feeling and possibly, intuition that not everything would be well that early morning, after the troops were delayed by two hours in reaching the target place. 

More than all the analyses attendant to the operations, the real score here is whether we should still applaud the approval of a Bangsa Moro Law or BML given the loose control that a leader would have over the community. 

I think that the BML has grand beginnings, but the nicks are showing now. The Mamasapano incident has shown us the rage of a people who have felt oppressed from many centuries. A piece of paper will not erase that overnight. Generation after generation has bred that mindset that those outside of their communities are not to be trusted totally and that they are the only true ones who can discern what is happening, what should happen to them. Against that regionalistic or racial feeling, it is triply important to think how best to integrate them into the Philippine fabric without loss of lives. 

Evidently, democracy can still be imparted to them. The hearings showed how democracy works -- everyone is given a chance to speak and ask questions within a time frame; questions are not edited nor stopped from being aired; man and woman senators were given equal time to speak out; and respect for the chair was evident all throughout, though she is a woman. In other words, the hearings showed to the people, especially the group that we are trying to reach out to, that this is the way we carry out democratic procedures specially ewhere a criminal problem is involved. 

However, we should not stop there. I do think and feel very strongly that Ms. Etta Rosales, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chair, the DSWD and the Department of Education, as well as the DILG have to work hand in hand now to develop a curriculum on human rights to be shared with the children, the youth, the adults, the senior citizens, the students, the market vendors, the businesspeople, and the barangay officials of Mamasapano and all other beleaguered communities by terroristic gangs. When people are aware, then gangsterism will have a difficult time to take root in those places where there is a high democratic sense. 

Actually, the academe has many methods of inculcating democratic ideas among various groups of people. It is only a matter of logistics and commitment on the part of our officials. We need to go institutional here because we cannot really rely on media, especially TV to inculcate among our people -- how to respect each other's ideas and much more so personhood. Just listen to opinion programs over the air for a few minutes and then suddenly, it would be interrupted by an advertisement about drinking liquor at 7 in the morning. Liquor drinking among the Muslims is controlled I gathered. Or again, a very important rendering of the news would be broken by another advert, emphasizing how important it is to have white underarms. So one has to use a certain type of deodorant. Or just look at internet shops that have violent games being allowed to the youth to play day in and night out. What is the point we ask, to have such games on screen for the youth to absorb, secretly even, after a school day? 

Do you see Folks how we sabotage the idea of a democratic state to people who have very conservative upbringing and yet some of their views could be very rational? Why drink liquot at 7 a.m. when one should be readying oneself to go to work?  Why use that deodorant when around us are natural stones like the tawas, very cheaply could suppress bad odor? 

We could say now that our type of a democratic state is too permissive to allow the people to do as they please, and for those who have the resources to control what people will see, what people will buy. 

The Mamasapano incident is a huge wake-up call for us to check where we are going democracy-wise. It should make us reflect on what we are doing to carve a society that should be humane, compassionate and nurturing before. Then we should also develop our strong defenses, intellectually, in order to reach out to the groups that are clamoring for their own freedom and control over their own lives. 

Allowing them freedom does not mean their holding their own weapons. Rather they should be given freedom to learn, to be educated on how it is to be a part of a humane society. 

Best of all, control over their own lives also means respecting the rights of women to exist side by side with the men, to fulfill their own dreams for a better life. 

UNDERSTANDING THE REAL MEANING OF PEOPLE POWER

                                                  

So many people think now it is good to have people power over PNoy's faux pas and is rousing everyone to mass up and demand that he step down.  

But that is shortcutting the real meaning of people power. No, the power of the people does not rest on marching up and down the streets always. It has many methods -- if only the leaders would think twice about rocking the boat at this time. 

Gradual development -- that is the key to everything, not potshots here and there. Look at what happened after the booting out of Marcos. Sure, democracy was restored, especially freedom of the press but that was all. Reconstructing our society, making the people aware and moving them to act were uphill battles. 

Then came Erap's abrupt descent. I think everyone thought that we had already restored the sanctity of the ballot when Erap was elected by a landslide vote. We expected everyone to respect it. But no, he was deposed after a Senate hearing that never ended properly. And so we had 9 years of fakeries. 

So what is the alternative to massing up? We should show what is NGO power -- that is truly people power. Non-government organizations who are watching government daily, by the hour, must have stronger positions vis-a-vis the government. 

Parallel to the coterie of yes-people around PNoy, we must have our own council that will advise him on what to do. We must make them strong enough to make PNoy sit up and listen to what they will say. 

That council need not arise after a people power. No. They are sitting up vis-a-vis PNoy because they have viable ideas on how to run a pro-people government.

to be continued. 

To Know is to be ...

To Know is to be Free; To be Free  is to see the Need to Share; To Share is to be Nearer to God.

\Why should we be nearer to God? Because God encompasses the full definition of Goodness. Some atheists would not like those sentences at all. 

But violence is rooted in evil. Evil is contrary to goodness. And so evil is contrary to God's ways. 

Some people say, don't think in black and white. Think in terms of cause and effect. What is the cause of evil? What is the effect of evil? Have they thought of that? If we are going to justify every act as having a cause and effect, then we shall not have anymore need for laws, for peace and order in society. Instead, every individual act, whether violent or not, will have cause and effect. 

So where is sin there? Nada. No sin at all. Karma is what you will get if you do evil, meaning it will get back to you. 

I wonder if the neck hackers in the Middle East think of karma at all. Do they ever think of living 5 or 10 years from now? Or do they just want to think of the present -- how many necks they can still hack each day?

How do they feel after hacking a neck? Glorious? Can they sleep after killing one, or a dozen, or hundreds of people? Where do they get their stamina in being able to look at blood and gory scenes without flinching and doing it again and again?

I think that EDUCATION has to be thought of -- all fields,  whether they include ethics, especially engineering. Do the curricula include ethics? Ethics deals with right and wrong, 

Ramzi Yousef -- studied electrical engineering in Swansea Institute. 

Zulkifli Abdul bin Hir, alias Marwan, trained overseas as an engineer in the USA

Bin Laden earned a degree in civil engineering in 1979 from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah

Those three people above all studied engineering and they were involved in bombings, in doing violence. Ramzi, together with others,  bombed the World Trade Center. So indeed their education must not have carried a humanistic view of ethics, meaning to say, one that has respect of life. 

Isn't it high time to check the engineering educational curricula? How many lives could we save if we do that?

In the feminist circles, we always mention the word "patriarchy" or the domination of men. At this time of Mamasapano, we would like to put it aside and say, we are all in this together and there is no need to say men belong there, and women here. 

No we are all citizens of this county and our aim is to unite to defeat terrorist acts in the country. Not only to defeat but also to make it obsolescent. We need to remove it so that the word would not exist anymore in our country and in the world. 

Actually, the battle lines are very stark now. Those who believe in patriarchy use arms, not just simple arms but violent ones, and using violent methods. They hack here and there, and I can only clutch my neck, hoping  that it would not happen to me at all -- that which is described in the international news. 

Now how do we defeat such kind of violent patriarchs? Of course Folks, there are so-called benevolent patriarchs, a few who delight in being generous but feeling on top of everyone. They like to think that because they are philanthropic, then everyone must defer to them. Now, some other magnanimous patriarchs, who probably have traveled much and have interacted with different cultures, do not have that sense of domination. Instead, they think that to develop, to improve one's life is a given when one is in this world. And so, having so much for their needs, they find nothing wrong with sharing their resources freely. 

So our real problem are those violent patriarchs. How do we deal with them? I think an idea can be killed by another idea. 

Even if a person dies, as Rizal died for love of our country. that love is not diminished by the absence of the person. In other words, when the ISIL hack and hack heads like sunflowers in the fields, they will not be able to finish off everyone and make themselves rulers of this planet. No, that is not the way of the Lord. That is not the way music runs on this earth. That is not what 80% or 90% of the people of the earth want. They are only a few percent and so their idea of running down a country, of conquering other peoples is not going to be forever and ever. Somehow, there is an end to everything. 

In Pilipino, we say, "kapag napuno na ang tapayan, kailangang kalusin na." 

Here are other quotes: 
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” ― Mahatma Gandhi 

The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.” 
― Albert Einstein

Never open the door to a lesser evil, for other and greater ones invariably slink in after it.” 
― Baltasar Gracián


Knowledge is power. Power to do evil...or power to do good. Power itself is not evil. So knowledge itself is not evil. ― Veronica Roth

Jesus said... ‘all who live by the sword will die by the sword. Luke 22:5

Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good. Romans 12:21

I-TEXT MO

Kuwento ni Emma S. Orozco

Alam niya nagalit si John sa kanya kaya hindi ito nagte-text man lamang sa kanya. Nagalit ito dahil hindi niya sinabi ang pangalan ng gustong bumili ng lupa sa kanya. Sa isip-isip niya, bakit naman niya sasabihin? Kaanu-ano ba naman niya siya e ang links lang naman nila ay dahil magkaibigan sila?

Napakamasalimuot talaga ang buhay ni Erlinda sa ngayon. Para siyang parating nakatuntong sa balag ng alanganin. Mayroong parang nagiging yelo na siya sa takot kumilos, o kaya ay parang nakasimento na ang mga paa niya sa daan tuwina siyang maglalakad, o kaya ay para talagang napakabigat ng mga paa niya sa paghakbang.

Hindi niya malaman kung bakit ganito samantalang kumikilos pa rin naman siya at sa bawa’t pagkilos niya ay alam niyang ito ang hakbang patungo sa isang malaya, higit na makilos na pamumuhay.

Paano ang gagawin niya sa ngayon? Ah, naisip niya si Mario. Tatawagan niya si Mario. Maraming alam ito tungkol sa mga telecommunications. Kaya nitong ma track down kung sino ang nakatrack down ng kanyang numero at nakakuha ng impormasyon kung sino ang kanyang buyer.

E ano naman kung malaman na niya na na-hack ang kanyang telepono, na may nakikinig at naipasa ang impormasyon kung sino ang kanyang buyer? E ano kung malaman niya kung sino ang nang-umit ng impormasyon na yun at nakasulot ng kanyang deal? E ano kung nasulot ang kanyang deal?

Yan ang kaibhan nila ni John kasi ang taong ito, todo pasa. Tapos na ang deal na yun. Huwag mo nang balikan, ang sabi siguro nito. Kasi hindi na nagtetext back. Ganun nga si John. Kapag tapos na ang isang deal, go on to the next. Para bang pagka tapos na ang isang relasyon, go on to the next. Ayun? Talaga bang ganun ang buhay? Parang nagpapalit ka lang ng damit? Aba, mali yata yun. 

Yan ang kinagagalit ni Erlinda. Maraming tao sa Pilipinas ang nagsasabi, tama na yan. Matatapos din yan sa 2010. Let’s go on with our lives. Diyos na ang bahala sa mga nangungurakot, sa mga nagnanakaw ng puwesto sa gubyerno. Diyos na ang magpaparusa sa kanila. Ganun? Ganun na lang ba yun?

Alam ni Erlinda na yun talaga ang pilosopiya ni John at para sa kanya, anathema ito. A-N-A-T-H-E-M-A. As in hindi puwede.  Kung ang negosyo ko hindi na safe sa mga pakikialam, sa mga pagnanakaw ng impormasyon, paano pa ang kanyang boto? Ano pa ang halaga ng buhay? Para ano pang mabuhay?

Oo nga? Parati na lang pakikibaka? Walang katapusan? Nakakapagod na. Breathe in and out. Inhale, exhale. Yan ang ginagawa ni Erlinda tuwing parang na te-tense siya sa pag-iisip o kaya ay may mga nakakasalamuha siyang mga tao na di mawawaan ang pulitika.

Simula nuong napalayas si Erap hanggang ngayon, walang puknat ang pagsusulat ko, kahit na wala na akong diyaryong masulatan man lamang ng tuluy-tuloy, ang nawika ni Erlinda sa sarili. Pagud na pagod na siya. Kailan ba ito matatapos?

Pero kailangan niyang harapin si John. Makikipag break na siya sa taong ito sa ngayon. Papayag na rin ito kasi alam niya na talagang opposite, taliwas ang pananaw nito sa buhay kesa sa kanya. Teka, baka si John ang nagpa-track down ng kanyang conversations sa telepono at nang-umit ng impormasyon. Oo nga.

Nagtataka si Erlinda kasi unti-unting nawala ang lahat ng mga ahente na kinakausap niya – si Panda, si Candy, si Morlin, at si Lem. Text siya ng text sa mga ito upang sabihin na naririto na ang buyer. Sa simula, enthusiastic sila. Ilang bahay ang tinext sa kanya. At pagkatapos ay bigla na lang nangawala. Nawala lahat na parang bula. Ni hindi nagsabi na heto na, o wala akong makitang mai ooffer natin. O kaya ay saka na lang. Sa halip ay biglang na lang tumatahimik ang kanyang cellfone. Tahimik na nakakabingi ang kawalan ng marinig man lamang.

Hay, naku, ang nawika ni Erlinda. Masalimuot talaga ang mga pangyayari. 

Pero gugustuhin pa rin niyang malaman ang katotohanan. Tatawagan niya si Mario, at ipapatrack down niya. Kailangan niyang malaman ang katotohanan dito. Kasi parang naipangako na niya sa sarili niya na kaya niyang mabuhay dito sa Pilipinas ng maalwan, at hindi niya kailangang mangibang-bansa. Sa real estate ang kanyang ikabubuhay.

Kaya lang ay parati siyang hinihila sa pulitika. Hila-hila, tulak din siya ng tulak upang kumilos ang mga tao. Tapos siya ng edukasyon pero hindi siya nagtuturo. May mga taong hinaharang ang bawa’t aplikasyon niya sa lahat ng mga eskuwelahan. 

Ang huling pagtuturo niya ay sa Dos Santos University. Pilosopiya. Mabigat pero nagawa niyang magkaron ng interes and mga estudyante kina Plato, Locke, Marx, at sa mga feministang philosophers tulad ni Simone de Beauvoir. 

Pinagawa niya ng exhibit ang mga bata na dinespley sa eskuwelahan. Napanood ito ng buong eskuwela. 

Marami siyang naging estudyante at naituro niya ang pilosopiya – pati na ang third world feminismo. Kasi sa mga mahihirap na bansa na kung tawagin ay third world (kasi ang mga ito ang nag-eexport ng hilaw na materyales para gawing finished products sa ibang bansang maunlad) iba ang kalagayan ng kababaihan. Kasing api sila ng mga lalaki. Sa kanluran o maalwan na bansa, kadalasan ang binibigkas ng mga feminista, lalaki ang dahilan ng kanilang kaapihan.

Sa kanya, yun ang panahon na ang taas ng kanyang naging suweldo; nabayaran niya ang kanyang unit sa kondominyum, at naibuhos niya ang lahat ng nalalaman niya sa pulitika upang magising ang mga tao sa pagkakatusok ng morphine na nagpa-amnesia sa kanila.

Pero minsan, sa faculty lounge, wala siyang makitang upuan. Naupo siya sa silya ng chairman. May natsu-chua at sinabi ito sa chairman na kinagalit naman nito. BAKIT MAY NAUPO SA SILYA KO? Ganun? Ang silya ang nagde-define ng kanyang pagkatao?

Dahil doon, nawalan ng load si Erlinda. Balik na siya sa pagsusulat muli. 

Oo, ang pagbagsak ni Erap ng biglaan at parang walang pag-aalsang nagawa ang mga tao, kundi yung ginawa lamang ng kanyang mga tauhang natulungan sa komunidad ay isang uri ng pagsa-shabu, pagkawala ng katinuan o pagkawala ng urirat na parang nainiksiyunan ng morphine. Bakit?

Nahirati ang mga tao sa pag-iisip na de-kahon. “Ako ay negosyante. Ayokong haluan ng pulitika ang aking negosyo.” Yung isa naman sasabihin “Ako ay nasa gubyerno. Ginagawa ko ang dapat kong gawin. Tama lang na suwelduhan ako. Ngayon kung sa taas may mga nangyayaring kaguluhan, nakawan sa puwesto, bahala na ang Diyos sa kanila. Wala akong paki. Basta ginagawa ko ang trabaho ko.”

Madalas marinig ni Erlinda ang mga dahilan na yan para hindi na pumasok sa magulong mundo ng pulitika ang mga tao. Middle-of-the-roader wika nga. Walang paki sa mga nangyayari sa kaliwa’t kanan. Basta siya ay kikilos ng diretso sa buhay niya -- kikita sa araw-araw, kung maliit, aba palalakihin. No politics for me. Hah! Never! 

Tiningnan ni Erlinda ang celfone niya kung sumagot na si Mario. Magkikita na sila. Aalukin niya si Mario ng kape, at kung ayaw pumayag sa kanyang hinihinging impormasyon, aalukin na niya ng pera. Ayaw naman niyang ialok ang sarili niya. Ano, bale? Sobra nang kaputahan yan.

Diyan na rin naiinis si Erlinda sa buhay na ito. Kasi parating celfone na lang ang nagiging link niya sa mga tao. Ni hindi na niya makausap, o marinig ang tinig. Mahal kasi kung direct calls.

Nakakatawa. Magdi-deal siya ng milyones pagkatapos ni hindi siya maka direct calls. Duon na sila nag-aaway na palihim ni John. Kasi parang nanghihinayang siya sa direct call niya nuong tawagan niya ito tungkol sa deal, kung mayroon siyang mai-ooffer na mga bahay at lupa na may swimming pool. “Bakit ka manghihinayang sa tawag mo? Ang tinuro ko sa iyo ay hindi mo matatawaran.” Nagpasalamat naman siya kay John pero nagtataka siya kung bakit ganun ang naging sagot nito.

Kasi sanay sa buhay na maalwan talaga si John. Hindi sanay sa hirap. Sa katunayan, ang asawa nito ay nasa Amerika para magtrabaho. Hindi maiwanan ang buhay na dolyares. Oo nga naman, masarap sumuweldo ng dolyar. Tayms 48 kaagad ang bawat isang dolyar.

Pero mahalagang makuha niya ang impormasyon na yun. Kasi ang editor niya mahilig din sa sleuthing articles. Oo, kailangan niyang makuha yun. Para sa sarili niya at para sa editor niya. Yun ang magpapakita ng kahungkagan ng free enterprise sa Pilipinas. Walang free enterprise. Wala kundi dayaan, sa lahat ng paraan, kesyo sa pulitika o sa negosyo.

Pero paano niyang isusulat yun? Paanong tatanggapin ng editor niya ang artikulong yun kung hard-hitting? Ah, marunong maglaro sa establishment ang kanyang editor. Pasundut-sundot dito, pahimas-himas duon. Basta walang mga malalaking pangalang lalabas, okay lang yun.

Napapikit na lamang si Erlinda sa mga senaryong naglalaro sa kanyang isipan. Natuto siya tuloy mag-mediteyt- Breathe in and out. Nakapikit, at walang iniisip. 

Erlinda, in and out. Sampu, hanggang tatlumpung minuto. Wala kang iisipin kundi ang hangin na dumaraan sa ilong mo. Papasok sa baga at pagkatapos ay lalabas. Paulit-ulit. 

Bakit ba siya naipanganak pa sa Pilipinas? Bakit hindi sa ibang bansa, tulad ng Caribbean Islands? Ang sarap siguro duon, nakaharap lang siya parati sa dagat at walang ginagawa kundi uminom ng buko at lumangoy sa dagat. E ano kung mangitim siya? E ano kung manguluntoy ang balat niya sa araw? Ano ba ang buhay, di ba natatapos din? Hindi ba masarap matapos ang hininga sa may baybayin habang papalubog ang araw. Sa halip na isang hungkag na buhay na puro text lamang, haharap na lamang siya sa papalubog na araw at hihinga ng malalim. 

Tumunog ang celfone ni Erlinda muli. At tiningnan niya kung kanino galing. Galing kay Mario o kay John? Pumikit siya at nag-mediteyt na lang. Hinga ng malalim, papasok, palabas. Hinga ng malalim. Papasok, palabas. Pap....

Bago mag 2010 elections, sinulat ito ni Emma S. Orozco na nangarap ng isang tunay na malayang bansa. 

BINALATANG KATAWAN

FOLKS, here is a short experimental drama of mine which was published in the latest Ani Journal of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. I wrote this after one of the disasters happened in our country, sometime in 2012. It was launched only on 2014 because kulang sa budget ang CCP. The head of the Intertextual Division, formerly Literary, is Mr. Hermie Beltran. You may get in touch with CCP how to get hold of the volume which contains a lot of writings of our Kababayan from Luzon to Mindanao. 

CCP President -- Raul Sunico, formerly based there in USA -- 834-0468

BINALATANG KATAWAN

Isang Maikling Dulang Experimental ni Emma S. Orozco

(PAYAK ANG ENTABLADO. SA GITNA, DALAWANG PUNO ANG NAKATAYO SA MAGKABILA. SA KANAN AY MAY ISANG VIDEO SCREEN. SA SIMULA AY LILITAW, ANG MAPA NG EASTERN VISAYAS, ANG ILANG LARAWAN NG MGA BAYAN BAGO DUMATING ANG BAGYONG YOLANDA. MATAPOS ANG FLASHING NG MGA LARAWAN, MAGSISIMULA ANG DULA.)

SFX: TUNOG NG MATAHIMIK NA ALON NA HUMAHAMPAS SA DALAMPASIGAN.

ISANG BANGKO, WALANG SANDALAN. MAY DALAWANG TAUHAN, ISANG BATANG LALAKI . LABINDALAWANG TAON, AT ISANG BABAE, NASA IKAW TATLUMPUNG TAON. DAMIT NILA AY PAYAK. AT MAY HAWAK NA TIMBA. NAKAUPO ANG BABAE SA BANGKO. MAY TUNOG NG MGA IBONG LUMILIPAD. TUMUTUNOG DIN ANG MGA SIKADA. MARIRINIG DIN ANG MGA TUNOG NG BAKA AT KAMBING.)

PAGPASOK AY KUMAKANTA ANG BABAE:

BABAE: AY, AY MAGANDANG GABI SA INYONG LAHAT. HATID NAMIN KUWENTO NG AMING KATAWAN – BATA, MATANDA, MALUSOG, NANGUNGULUNTOY, MALIKSI, NANGHIHINA. MAKINIS NA BALAT, MAGASPANG.

Bakit tayo nilalang ng Maykapal sa planetang ito? Para maghirap? Para magsaya? Para yumuko at di magtanong o para itaas ng itaas ang ating kamao! HA! HA! HA! (sA BAWA'T HA AY TINATAAS NIYA ANG KANYANG KAMAO)

Ah, tayo nang makinig, manood sa aming awiting-kuwento. Ay ya ya yay! Ay ya ya yay! Dito, dito sa entabladng ito. Aming ilalahad Tayo na, Totoy!

(SOUND EFFECTS: UGONG NG MGA TAONG DI MAPAKALI, MAY TUMATAKBO, MAY NAPAPAIYAK, MAY NAPAPASIGAW NG PAIMPIT.)

TATAKBO ANG BATA SA PALIGID NG ENTABLADO. HINDI SIYA MAPAKALI. IIKUT-IKOT, PARANG MAY NARIRINIG.

BATA: Inay, Inay, may naririnig ako. Ayaw tumigil. Patuloy ang pag..pagsipol!

INA:: Anu yun, Anak, anu yun?

BATA:: Hindi, hindi nagsasalita. Parang bumubulong. Ay! Para akong mabibingi. (MAPAPALUHOD AT IIIKOT NIYA ANG KANYANG ULO)Ayoko nang marinig. Natatakot ako!

INA: (TITINGALA SA LANGIT) Kung ano ka man, itigil mo yan! Tama na ang pahirap mo sa amin!

(ITATAAS NIYA ANG KANYANG KAMAO SA LANGIT) Pakiusap. Pakiusap! Ayoko nang mahirap!

BIGLANG MAGLILIWANAG ANG ENTABLADO. IBA'T IBANG KULAY. AT PAGKATAPOS, LALAMLAM. KULAY DILAW. MAY SPOTLIGHT SA BANGKO.

(MAWAWALA ANG MGA TUNOG NG IBON AT SIKADA. UNTI-UNTING HIHINA)

BATA: Inay, Inay, nairirnig ko na naman. Pero sumisipol. Sumisipol,at palakas nang palakas. Parang may inasabi. May binubulong. Naririnig mo rin ba? Hindi ko mawawaan.

(SOUND EFFECTS. PALAKAS NANG PALAKAS ANG MGA HINDI MAGKAMAYAW NA MGA TINIG NG MGA TAONG LUMILIKAS. MAY TUNOG DIN NG ALONG NAGNGANGALIT AT HANGIN. )

INA: (TATAYO, AT PARANG NAMAMALIKMATA. MAGBABAGO ANG TINIG NIYA, MAY ECHO) Ako'y parating, papasok sa bawa't lupat at kapaligiran. Hahayo ako sa iaibuturan ng puso ng bawa't bata, ng bawa't nakatatanda, ng bawa't babae, lalaki, anumang kasarian. Ako'y naghahanap ng kasagutan. Nasaan kayo?

BATA: Ano ang tinatanong, Inay? Bakit siya nagtatanong?

INAY: Matagl na tayong nabibingi sa kawawaan ng mundo. Bakit may dagat? Malamig ang tubig. Binibigyang buhay ang mga isda, ang mga dugong, ang mga pagong. Hayo! Hayo, mangisda kayo. Bigyan ng pagkain ang mga tao.

(DIDILIM, LILIWANAG, MAY KIDLAT PERO WALANG ULAN.)

BATA: Ah, tama na. (TATAKPAN ANG MGA TENGA NIYA PARANG MAY NARIRINIG NA KAKAIBA) Tama na. Ayoko nang marinig ang sipol 'Nay, sumisipol palakas ng palakas. Saan papunta?

INAY: Bakit may hangin? Upang tayo ay makahinga, upang tayo ay mabuhay. Buhayin ang Sangkatauhan! Buhayin kami!

Nguni't malaking kasakiman. Ano ang mga umuusbong sa langit? Tsimneya, maraming tsimneya. Umuusok silang lahat. Itim na usok. Paakyat sa langit. Kaunlaran para kanino? Para sa amin o para sa inyo? Anong uring kaunlaran?

Ay! Ay! Ay!

(LALAKAS ANG SIPOL AT PARANG MABIBINGI SILANG DALAWA. MAG-AAKAPAN SILA.)

BATA: Inay, ipu-ipo. Umiikot ang mga dahon ng puno. Winawasiwas ng hangin ang puno. Baka...BAKA Mabuwal.

(MAWAWALA ANG TUNOG NG HANGIN. UNTI-UNTING KAKALAS ANG BATA SA INA. )

INAY: Hindi, hindi namin kailangan ang mapanirang kaunlaran, sinisira ang paligid, ginagawang hungkag ang kamalayan tungo sa mapagkasangkapang pagnanasa. Dinodiyos ang ginto, sinasanto ang pilak, ginagawang palamuti ang dalangin.

BATA: Inay, paalis, paalis ang mga ibon. Parang nalilito sila. Saan sila pupunta? Ang mga baka at kambing, hayun, tumatakbo papunta ng bundok.

INA: Maitim ang mga ulap, naglalakbay, parami ng parami. Mabigat ang mga ulap, maraming dalang tubig.

(PALAKAS MULI ANG HANGIN. PALAKAS NG PALAKAS ANG TUNOG. MAY ULAN NA RIN NA TUMATAGAKTAK, PALAKAS NANG PALAKAS.)

BATA: Inay, hindi ba tayo lilikas? Halika na, punta na tayo sa simbahan.

INA: (TITINGIN SA LANGIT) Nagngangalit ang hangin. Bumubuhos na ang ulan. Babahain ang buong bayan. Tubig, tubig, luha ng langit, saan ka pupunta?

(PAPASOK NA ANG TUBIG. MAAARING MAHAHABANG TELA ITO NA KULAY PUTI AT ASUL, WINAWASIWAS, UNA NASA SAHIG LAMANG PERO PATAAS NANG PATAAS, HANGGANG SA LEEG NG DALAWA. )

BATA: Narito na ang tubig. Umaakyat na sa unang baitang. Saan tayo susuling kung tumaas ang tubig? Saan tayo matutulog?

INA: Halika, Anak. Huwag kang matakot. Malawak ang kalawakan. Bawa't nilalang ay may mahihigaan, mahihimlayan. Hihimlay tayo sa langit, sa kalawakan, katabi natin ang mga bituin at buwan.

(NATATAKPAN NA NG MGA TELA ANG UPUAN, AT AAKYAT ANG DALAWA SA BANGKO. TATAYO RITO.)

BATA: Natatakot ako Inay. Natatakot ako, baka tayo malunod. Baka tayo mamatay. Malamig ang tubig.

INA: Malamig ang tubig, kasi mainit ang ating katawan. Pinalalamig ang ating mga paa. Ang mga paang pagod sa kalalakad, kaaakyat ng bundok, ng matataas patungo saan? (TITINGALA SA LANGIT) Saan? Saan?

(UNTI-UNTING MATUTUMBA ANG MGA PUNO)

INA: Ang mga puno wala nang makapitang lupa, namamaalam, hindi na nila kayang tumayo. Hayo! Humayo na kayo!

(SOUND EFFECTS: MGA TAO, NAGKAKAGULO. HINDI MAGKAMAYAW. TUMATAKBO, NAGPAPATULONG.)

BATA: Sumama tayo sa kanila, 'Nay, lumilikas na sila.

INAY: Oo, lumilikas na sila. Aalis na rin tayo.

(NAGYAYAKAPAN NG MULI ANG DALAWA.)

BATA: Palaki na ng palaki ang tubig. 'Nay, kung di man tayo magkasama...

INAY: Huwag, huwag mong sabihin yan. Magsasama tayo. Hawakan mo ang kamay ko. Haw-hawakan mo! Totoy! Totoy!

(SFX: MALAKAS NA MALAKAS NA ANG HANGIN AT TUNOG NG ALON NA HUMAHAMPAS SA DALAMPASIGAN.)

BATA: 'NAY! (MAPAPALAGOK NG TUBIG, UNTI-UNTING LULUBOG, PERO LILITAW PA RIN, MAPAPALAYO SA INA. )

(PIPILITIN NG INANG MAABOT ANG KAMAY NG BATA HANGGANG SA SIYA'T MAHULOG MULA SA BANGKO. MAY MAAABOT SIYA PERO MGA PUTUL-PUTOL NA BRASO AT PAA. )

INAY: Ah, ano ito? Braso? Paa!

(AABUTIN NIYANG MULI SI TOTOY PERO PALAYU NANG PALAYO SI TOTOY. MAY IBA'T IBANG BAHAGI NG BAHAY NA LUMULUTANG, DARAAN SA HARAP NG INA. HALIGI, BINTANA, PINTUAN, YERO, AT KATAWAN NG ISANG BATA. )

INA: (MAY LULUTANG NA MGA KATAWAN NG TAO SA HARAP NIYA.) Diyos ko, ANO ITO? ANO ANG MGA ITO?

(TITINGIN SA LANGIT ANG INA.) Tama na, itigil nyo na ang ulan, Diyos ko, anong kasalanan namin! Ano! Ano!

(MALAKAS NA MALAKAS ANG HANGIN, BUMUBUHOS NA ANG TUBIG MATAAS, GALING SA DAGAT. AT MAYAMAYA, LALAYO. MATAPOS ANG ILANG SEGUNDO, AAKYAT NA NAMAN ANG TUBIG, LALAYO, AT PAGKATAPOS ANG PINAKAMATAAS, AAKYAT NA NAMAN. LALAYO.)

(TATAHIMIK ANG LAHAT. UNTI-UNTING HIHINA ANG TUNOG NG HANGIN, PAPALAYO. FLASH ON SCREEN, BEFORE AND AFTER NG MGA LARAWAN NG MGA BAYAN AT TAONG NASA SIMULA NG DULA. DISSOLVE ONE AFTER ANOTHER. PAGKATAPOS NITO LALABAS ANG INA AT BATA, NAKAPUTING DAMIT.)

INA: Hindi nawawala ang mga pangarap sa tulugan, sa ating mga unan. Lilitaw muli sa ating pagbangon, sa ating paghinga ng malalim, paulit-ulit. Saan, saan tayo patutungo? Katawan lamang ang namamatay, hindi ang mga pangarap, hindi ang mga mithiin. Ang lupa, masarap tapakan ang lupa.

BATA: Masarap maglaro sa lupa. Nabubungkal ko, nakapagtatanim ng maliliit na halaman.

INA: Ang mga puno, tutubo sa lupa, magaganda, nagbibigay buhay sa bawa't tao, silungan ng mga ibon.

BATA: Umaakyat kami ng mga kalaro ko sa puno sa gabi, nanonood ng mga bituin at buwan. Ang dami-daming bituin. At kung kabilugan ng buwan, naglalaro kami sa lupa; ang sinag ng buwan, tanging ilaw namin.

INA: Hahayo tayo sa paraiso ng pagbibigayan, sa pagkilala ng kahalagahn ng bawa't nilang, lalo na ng sangkatauhan.

(SFX: HANGIN GALING SA MALAYO. TUNOG DIN NG ALON NA NAGNGANGALIT.)

Mabait si Inang Kalikasan. Nagpapahiwatig lamang siya – (with echo) Naririto ako, nasaan kayo? Lingapin nyo ako. Mabubuhay lamang kayo...ang sangkatauhan kung ako ay yayakapin. Kakalingain. Halina.

(ANG DALAWANG HULING KATAGA AY AALINGAWNGAW NG MATAGAL.

(TATALIKOD ANG INA AT ANAK. LALAMLAM AT MAWAWALA ANG MGA ILAW. SA PAGDIDILIM, UNTI-UNTING TUTUNOG ANG HANGIN, TAPOS MAWAWALA. BLACK OUT. MAY TUNOG PA RIN NG HANGIN. TITIGIL.)

FINE. TAPOS NA. THE END.

When communication lines bogged down between and among military and the police officers, I thought, my God, that was a fatal problem in the war field. Here in MetroManila, we also experience communication breakdowns. 

I was not able to communicate regularly withmy son when he was still alive in Singapore because he used to say that it was a very expensive call. Somehow, I inhibited myself as well. All my moneys I poured on food and necessities as at that time I was not earning well. 

How I regret not having incurred debts just to be able to talk to him on the phone, much more so to see him in Singapore. But you see I also had an inkling that because of my writings could have been too cautious about seeing me there knowing how strict and anti-democratic the State there was and is until today. Flashes of Flor Contemplacion ran in my mind as soon as I came to know about his death last July 2014. Could it be that he was targeted by some highly placed people in the government which I criticize now and then? My last letter to him was for us to make an animation about a bagong salta Filipino who spat a chewing gum on a sidewalk in Singapore.Remembering what a stickler for cleanliness Singapore is, he tried very hard to extract it from the pavement. Then a policeman passed by and upon seeing him, he swallowed the chewing gum so that the former would not see it. 

I find it difficult to breathe now again. Let me catch my breath. 

My next issue is communication here in our country. October 27, I bought a PLDT card for P400 thinking that it was good for landline communication for one month. On November 4, a message said that I did not have enough load anymore. 

I then loaded another P300 as the P100 wasfor the sim card. On Nov 27, the load finished off. And I was asked to load again. I did on December 4. Then my phone conked out again.Later I learned from another branch of PLDT that am supposed to be entitled to a P600 worth of load calls. 

I complained that I need an extension of the load as I had loaded so much already and that my calls had not amounted to something worth P600 at all, the first and second times. 

To date, I have not received any response. 

Today, I saw a P100 PLDT card good for one month and consumable at P7 per minute. If I were a worker earning P250 per day, that means to use the P100 card, I can make 14 one-minute calls only per dayand I need to load again for the next day. AT P100per day thatwould stretch to P3,000 per month. At P250 per day wage, the worker will spend P5,500 per month in order to communicate with the world. 

You see Folks, for decades, PLDT was a monopoly in our country. It was only in the 80's or 90's that celfones started pouring in, allowing people to communicate whereever they are with others. And yet, only a few then owned celfones. Today, you are sikat  if you can make voice calls with your celfone.  For ordinary folks like us, texting is our way of life. We can make voice-to-voice if it is same telecom company numbers, say Sun-to-sun, Globe-to-Globe, etc. 
But crossing lines, it almost feels like harakiri. You finish off your load right away. 

Folks, why are our communication lines this way? 
  

THOUGHTS SPAWNED BY MAMASAPANO MATANZA

Many lessons can be derived from watching the Senate hearings. It gives us a broad view of political life at the highest legislative level, showing us the caliber and character of every member. We say that we did not make a mistake in voting for our chosen few there because they showed their "heads on their shoulders" as my Division chief at the Budget Commission, now the DBM would say. May utak talaga, a far cry from the usual TV fares where the programs show all kinds of "ewan" characters, shouting, screaming, "Kakaloka talaga!" or whatever. 

We say that the program shows the best minds of our land, especially Madame Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago who can deal with a military general, a suspended general, talk international and local laws with the justice secretary, without batting an eyelash. Minus her imperious tone, she is a great model to the female youth to imitate. 

Yes we have a dearth of female role models in our midst that is why those sexy singers like Beyonce, Lady Gaga are being imitated by many showbiz people, as if having brains is an alien aspiration. 

Anyway, I spent another six hours glued to the TV set, because of which the thief in our house was able to pilfer my watch. I saw Mohagher Iqbal, chief negotiator for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and thoughts of my father, Antonio, who hails from Surigao del Sur, surfaced -- did he speak that way in that Visayan accent, I wondered. And my too hardened disposition softened because I surmised my father's roots. He came to Manila in search of a better life for himself in his teens. My mother didn't like him at first but he was very persistent in his courtship of her until she finally had to accede. They bore us, five children (my mother subsequently remarried when he died of nephritis at a time when dialysis was not yet available and begat another daughter, my stewardess-sister who was responsible for some of my travels in Asia and the United States for free due to discounts allowed for relatives.)

So Mr. Iqbal sounded very articulate and knowledeable about laws. He is a sophisticated man and when he said, "sa aming mga Muslim gagawin namin ang lahat para ma-attain ang gusto namin at kung walang mangyari, bahala na ang Diyos." I think that is a typical Visayan (Mindanao has many Visayans who migrated there when the government called Mindanao as the Land of Promise) attitude - go for it.

You will note that kind of attitude when you visit Greenhills Shopping Center where there are many Muslim-run stores. You ask a girl, how much is the cellphone? Oh it's two thousand, you say and then you start to leave. She runs after you and asks, how much do you want Ma'am?  Or what is your budget?

I remember very well when I was in a market in Southern Tagalog and I asked a female vendor, how much is that dress, and she said P200 and so I started to leave. She said, "O bakit ka aalis kaagad? Hindi tama yan, Tumawad ka ( in a rather arrogant tone as it I owed her a haggling of the price.) After I answered P100, then she said, "O di nakatawad ka," a rather cruel and anti-sales joke. That is not how to handle a customer, according to managerial books, is it not? 

So, my feelings for Mindanao run deep because my father hails from it. One time in 1987, I went to Cotabato to visit my children Ogening and Dadai then vacationing with their father. After that I took a bus going to Surigao del Sur passing through the Misamis provinces, and Cagayan de Oro City. It was very hot -- the weather -as if my skin would peel off. Then the bus proceeded to Surigao.

My goodness, I didn't know the bus would be winding its way around farms -- pilapil at bukid. Literally the tires of the bus were running on ricefields the palay from which had just been harvested. When I reached my father's hometown, I enjoyed the rustic scenery until I swam at the beach. There I saw many timber, logs that had just been sawn floating on the waters ready for export to Japan, I was told. And my heart seemed to bleed for them. They were tall and huge logs, as if they had seen centuries of oppression and abuses during the past colonization periods. 

 As soon as I arrived in Manila, I wrote then Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Sr. Sir, I said in my letter, Mindanao is so hot because of the illegal logging occuring there. A few months or weeks after, I read that he had filed a bill declaring logging as illegal all over the country. Yes, as early as the 80's we were already suffering, actually even much earlier than that from environmental degradation. 

Now, let me go back to the Senate hearing. I hope that it would result in laws that would help all the indigenous peoples there recover their own self-esteem, their dignity, from being citizens of the country, not from being pawns in the political struggles among different factions. I don't want to learn anymore that the Mindanaoans migrate to MetroManila in order to seek a better life. Mindanao is so beautiful, so rich that I have had plans to relocate there when my mother was still alive and I would bring the bones of my father there. Actually, he had wanted to stay there except that not much business could be had there at the time. My plans did not materialize because I wanted to take care of my mother in her sunset years.

So, I hope that Mr. Iqbal could pick programs and projects and ask the government to implement them there, uinder the helm of the Mindanaoans, instead of building a separate state. Actually, the Indians of American did not have to declare themselves as separate from the United States of America, although they are the original inhabitants there. 

I am also thinking of having a separate radio station for them -- where they can showcase all their cultural undertakings and Koran teachings. Our society must be a hub of multi-cultures that allow everyone to express themselves. We could learn a lot from them, I am sure. 

By having outlets for their ideas, we would slowly see the unfolding of their real natures -- not prone to using arms and other violent means, but rather nurturant of humanity. Then their women would also be working side by side with the men and develop into equal partners for achieving that humane and peaceful world.


 *1. Matanza, Sp. meaning slaughter. I don't like to use the English word because it sounds so brutal. 
2. The painting above is by  Picasso, a Spaniard.